Doug Robertson, whose coaching career includes a state championship with Reidsville, has taken the job as football coach at Eastern Guilford.

It will be Robertson’s third team in three years. He spent the past season at Person County after leaving Reidsville, his alma mater. He’s a Reidsville resident.

“It’s basically a family decision coupled with the fact that I think Eastern Guilford is a pretty good place to be,” Robertson said Monday night.

This also marks the third different classification for Robertson, 36, in as many years. Eastern Guilford competes in Class 3-A.

Person County, a Class 4-A school, went 3-8 in Robertson’s only season in charge. That was a two-win improvement from 2011.

The season at Person County made Robertson realize that the 45- to 50-mile commute wasn’t ideal for his family life. His wife works in Greensboro.

“It took going down to Person to see how important it was to be with family,” he said. “(Eastern Guilford) is somewhere I’m going to be a pretty good while.

“I’m glad the Eastern job came open again this year. It’s truly like a blessing.”

Calling it a move that should match his professional goals and his personal life (with a 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son), Robertson said he seeks to create a winning atmosphere with the Eastern Guilford program.

“That’s going to be my challenge to get those kids to believe they’re the kids who can get it done,” he said. “I’ve always thought Eastern Guilford football had a chance to be a lot better than they’ve experienced over there. We want a winning attitude. … It’s going to take time, but I think it can happen.”

Robertson has been a player and a coach against Eastern Guilford.

“The thing I know about them is they have great athletes,” he said. “I’m excited about being part of it.”

His three-year record as Reidsville’s head coach was 36-7. That included the Class 2-AA state championship in 2009. He was on the coaching staff for five Reidsville state titles.

The 1999 Guilford College graduate spent 11 years on Reidsville’s staff. The Rams had a 55-game winning streak during a part of that stretch.

Before becoming the defensive coordinator at Reidsville, Robertson spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Delta State, which won a Division II national championship.

David Hines coached one season at Eastern Guilford, posting a 2-9 record as a replacement for Scott Loosemore. The Wildcats were a combined 29-42 in six seasons under Loosemore.

In information from Eastern Guilford athletics director Randall Hackett, the school’s latest hiring reflects the hope that Robertson will “build a program that will consist of a culture of successful tradition within the coming years.”

Page 2 of 2 - Robertson’s departure from Reidsville came about as a surprise in some circles. He took the position at Person County saying at the time, according to a published report, that he was interested in making a long-term commitment.

Now, he has been enticed by another opportunity that he said is truly an ideal fit.

Robertson said he expects to take a position as a physical education teacher at Eastern Guilford for the next school year. He said he intends to complete this school year in a teaching role at Person County.